Hibiscus-shaped cup with ganoderma lucidum decoration in underglaze blue, Ming dynasty, Yongle reign (1403-1424)-China Archive

Image Number: K1B011825N000000000PAB
Dynasty: Ming dynasty
Category: Ceramics
Function: Container
Material: Minerals/Ceramics/
Description:
It is molded from a plate, in the shape of eight petal flowers, with folded edges, broad lips, low shallow walls, and short legs. The fetal bone is thick. Except for the unglazed exposed body at the bottom, the inner and outer walls are decorated with blue and white flowers. The lips are painted with waves of sea water, the inner wall is painted with eight branches of crocus, the center circle is painted with broken branches and peonies, and the outside is decorated with cloud head patterns and flowers. Eight groups of four season flowers are painted on the outer wall. The small cup is in the shape of eight petal flowers, with a narrow mouth, a deep wall and a short circle foot. A circle of twig flowers is painted under the outer wall mouth edge, and four groups of twig ganoderma lucidum are painted under it. A flower is painted in the heart of the vessel, and the white glaze on the inner wall is green without decoration. The combination of cups and plates in Hongwu period can be seen at the Zhushan site in Jingdezhen. Hongwu’s works raised a circle at the center of the plate to place small cups, while Yongle’s works replaced Hongwu’s practice by painting a circle.